The national game is about to get its next videogame entry by way of AFL 23, which Press-Start notes is getting a release across all major platforms this coming April, timing it roughly a month into the AFL season for 2023 proper.



AFL games have always had a bit of a rocky road upon release, and usually for two reasons. One: it's incredibly difficult to translate AFL -- a 360-degree full contact sport with some of the most complicated rules in elite sports, into a videogame, and two: the local development versus what those budgets for creation are, aren't really all that conducive to recreating the real-world product, substantially.

None of that is a slight on the teams that work to get these games out the door, it's just the cold reality of a smaller market and game development here in Australia -- but that could shift over the next few years with more money being poured into the local industry, but I digress.

AFL 23 will be heading to Aussie store shelves this April 13 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S with no mention yet of a Nintendo Switch version. The game will feature a full Team Manager mode as well as regular season mode and will also feature both the Men's and Woman's competition. The great Anthony "13! 13! Thirteeeeen!" Hudson will be joined by the equally excellent Kelli Underwood, AFLW legend Daisy Pearce, ex-Blues AFLW coach Daniel Harford, Gil's brother Hamish McLachlan and Jason Bennett in commentary, making for a huge leap over the traditional two commentators of the past. The game will also support online and local couch co-op as well as a full create-a-team option.

We snagged a few screens you can check out below, and stay tuned for more on the game as it encroaches on the mark.

Go Blues!

If they can just get the gameplay right, it may sell and if it does, they can invest in the 1994 CGI graphics